Wallabies surprise Fines-Leleiwasa eyes World Cup chance
While Tate McDermott and Nic White were virtual certainties to feature in France, Fines-Leleiwasa edged out Ryan Lonergan as the squad's third halfback despite not having played a single test.
His eventual debut just over a week ago was a tough 41-17 defeat against World Cup hosts France but the dreadlocked 27-year-old soaked up every moment of the warm-up, helping set up a try for winger Suliasi Vunivalu.
"I saw the big fella sprinting through, so I thought the height battle would get him over the line," Fines-Leleiwasa told reporters of his deft chip-kick late in the game.
"It worked out well. It’s obviously something we’ve been working on. We’ve got world-class wingers, as you’ve seen from the weekend with Suli and Mark (Nawaqanitawase).
"I was stoked to be part of it... I loved being out there. I didn’t want it to end, to be honest."
Australia have lost all five tests under Jones this year in his second stint in charge, and the Will Skelton-captained squad head into their Pool C opener against Georgia with fans' expectations near rock-bottom.
Fines-Leleiwasa, who struggled for years to break into professional rugby in Australia before landing at Western Force, hopes to play a meaningful role under veteran White and McDermott, who has been thrust into a leadership role by Jones.
"It's two great players I can learn off and pick up a few things along the way," he said.
“It’s a huge privilege to get that confidence from the coaching staff.
"I’m really enjoying my time, and I’ll do my best to repay the faith."
